Human, A Life Lesson
by SwirlySlidez
Summary: An on-going RvB series. Just a study of emotions within the canyon. Slight spoiler inside. Rated M for Mature, because it's RvB and they would have it no other way.
1. Chapter 1 Church

**Hey guys. I've been really into this RvB genre these days... I know, I know. It's not what I usually do, but I just can't stop. -makes a face- Sorry. But, anyway... I really like this one. How it starts and all... It's kinda like a... Awwwwwwww, followed by a, "Now wait, what?" because it's like... What? Church? Feelings? You kid, yes?**

**Anyways... Ermm. I don't own these guys. Any of them. Red team, Blue team, the alien, Doc, O'Malley. I do not own any of them. That said... Here's a story using them. D**

**Human, A Life Lesson  
Chapter One. Church.**

_"Church! Church! CHURCH!"_

"_What's wrong with Church, Tucker?"_

"_I don't know, Caboose… His body just… stopped. Like, there's not even that annoying whirring noise anymore. Church, you still in there?"_

_Church groaned loudly and appeared, once again in his spirit form, just to Tucker's left. "My servos or something. I don't know, dude."_

"_You mean we gotta fix you now?"_

"_Ah fuck it for now. I'm gonna just hang out in the Spirit World. You got things under control here, right?"_

_Before Tucker could respond, Church vanished again._

"_God, that guy's a dick."  
_-.-.-

'_You're a dick, dude.'_

'_He is the mean one.'_

'_Fuck you, Church!'_

Church dropped onto his cot in Blue base. He was tired, to the point of exhaustion, and he really wished he could have made the past few years just vanish into thin air. He raised his fully flesh hand to his face, staring hard at the appendage, a slight frown on his face.  
-.-.-

"_How? How'd I get my body back? My real one!" Church flexed his fingers and stared across the table at Tucker._

"_The alien revived you, dude. Like he revived Flowers… It was kinda awesome."_

"_How long does it last?"_

_Tucker shrugged and looked away, not daring to meet Church's eyes. "Probably till someone shoots you dead again."  
_-.-.-

He silently thanked the alien. So far, his human-again body had not failed him. He relished the feelings he was receiving, faster than any stupid computer body could possibly register. Cold, hot, breeze, wet, tired… It was all there again and he fucking loved it… For the most part.

He sighed and stretched, rolling onto his side and groaning.  
-.-.-

"_Goddamnit, Tucker! Don't you ever pay attention to anything you're doing?"_

_Tucker growled and rounded on his newly living, self-appointed C.O. "I liked you better as a robot. At least then, if we got tired of you being an asshole, we could turn your mouth off."_

_Church's eyes went wide behind the helmet and he dropped his gun, staring. Tucker stormed off, growling and mumbling, but Church didn't hear it over his own thoughts. He barely even heard the small voice to his left._

"_I like you like this, Church," Caboose said softly. "You're more huggable now."  
_-.-.-

"Fuck you, Tucker," Church mumbled against his pillow, burying his face into the fabric and sighing. He yanked up his sheet and burrowed as far into the cot as he could, sniffing slightly. He swore under his breath and pulled the sheet tight around his shoulders, promising himself that he'd never let what Tucker said get to him. Not now. He never did before, he wouldn't now.

But he was letting it get to him. The one thing he hadn't missed when he was a ghost: emotions. When he was a ghost, he was detached from the real world even when he was in it. Tucker could insult him all he wanted and Church could just shut it out. That wasn't the case anymore. Church could hear it and, more importantly, feel it all. And it was like someone was stabbing him in the heart. Or team-killing him all over again.

No one in this canyon liked him, even wanted to tolerate him for a few minutes, except for maybe Caboose. And yet he pushed the Rookie away too. It was his fault. He'd always been a dick to everyone. Not just the enemy, but his own team-mates. It wasn't that he tried to be a dick. He just was terrified to get close to people again. He had been friends with Jimmy… Jimmy was dead. He had been in love with Tex… Tex had killed Jimmy. He decided early on that friendships were stupid in this war.

And yet, here he was, lying wrapped up in his measly sheet, trying not to think about how much not having a single friend _hurt._

"Fuck…"


	2. Chapter 2 Sarge

**And here's chapter two of the Human series for RvB. This week (hour?) is Sarge. Reflecting on his men. Last chapter's "emotion" as I've decided each chapter will be based off one soldier and focused around one emotion, was Loneliness. Sarge's emotion here... is Compassion. In his own way. And here we go!**

**Human, A Life Lesson  
Chapter 2. Sarge.**

_'You're welcome, Sarge.'_

'_You're both an excellent leader and a handsome man, Sir.'_

'_When you die, can I have your armor?'_

Sarge wasn't entirely sure what it was about his special little group of soldiers that made him smile. Maybe it was the sarcastic tones in Grif's voice whenever the commanding officer reprimanded him for doing exactly the same thing he was supposed to do. Maybe it was the constant stream of compliments from Simmons, no matter how forced and obvious they were. Or maybe it was all the little comments Donut offered, no matter how out of place or goofy they were. Whatever it was, it sure made him happy to be the commanding officer of this particular group.

He actually enjoyed getting that growl into Grif's voice when the younger man attempted to talk back to him. He could imagine the soldier behind the armor turning red and puffing out his cheeks in anger like some great puffer-fish. The image always made him laugh.

He got a good laugh out of setting Simmons against the orange Spartan, too. Simmons' language seemed to get worse around Grif and he almost became the most foul-mouthed and angry man Sarge had ever met. He'd scream at Grif and the two would argue over the stupidest things, like Grif's inability to do just about anything he was told to do or Simmons' unstoppable ass-kissing.

And he couldn't help but adore Donut's obviously gay outlook on the world, and making fun of him for it, of course. The constant "It's light-ish red!" shouts of broken dignity were funny enough in their own right. He was probably the girliest soldier Sarge had ever met, even more so than that Tex chick on the Blue team. Donut was entirely entertaining and a damn good scapegoat.

And yet, even with how harshly he treated them all and how much he loved bringing out the worst in his soldiers, Sarge couldn't help but love them for their good points too.

Grif's odd ability to do the right thing without trying was a skill many a soldier would kill for. No matter how much Grif acted like he didn't like to work, the orange Spartan knew what he was doing and he did what needed to be done, which was more than Sarge could say for himself sometimes.

And he practically lived off the compliments he got from Simmons. That soldier knew how to kiss ass and he did a damn good job of it. He'd probably shine Sarge's shoes if given the order, and Sarge wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't give that order some day soon. His boots could use a good shining, after all.

He smiled in secret behind his helmet whenever Donut cooked for them all. And the decorations the pink Spartan had added to the base were definitely an improvement to the place. The base in the middle of a box canyon on an alien planet almost felt like home when they came in after a long day watching the Blues do absolutely nothing across the canyon.

Sarge sighed, shaking his head and closing his eyes. "Don't get all misty about your own boys," he told himself, chuckling as he pushed thoughts of Grif and Simmons yelling at each other while Donut screamed like a girl in the background right out of his head. It was late, and if he didn't get to sleep soon, he'd be exhausted tomorrow. And then he'd never be able to insult Grif properly, or give Simmons a sufficient amount of orders. And he might even miss a horribly sick and twisted innuendo that Donut didn't even know he was saying. That, of course, would never do.

**Short and difficult. I can't write Sarge... Like at all.**


	3. Chapter 3 Tucker

**And now it's Tucker's turn. I see his emotion being a mix of hatred and a sense of longing for acceptance. A stretch, I know, but... Yeah. I'm trying to work with the characters given me, remember. xD Anywho... Hope you like this chapter.**

**Chapter 3. Tucker.**

_'Don't ever be alone.'_

'_I want you to know… I always hated you… I always hated you the most.'_

Tucker sat at the table in Blue Base, staring at the far wall with barely a blink or a shiver as the AC unit kicked in for about the fifth time that day. Caboose kept it constantly cold in there, out of some irrational fear that Church's body would start decomposing in the extreme heat of the stone building. It was the stupidest reasoning Tucker had ever heard. It wasn't like Church was still just living inside a dead body. He was, by all rights and means, alive again. But still, Caboose insisted.

Not that it would have mattered if Tucker argued the fact anyway. He was practically non-existent at this damn place these days. Caboose spent every waking hour trying to please his "best friend" Church. And Church spent his time trying to hide from Caboose and think up new ways to yell at Tucker. And wasn't that the most refreshing thing to ever happen? Tucker couldn't remember a time when Church had actually asked him to do something in a polite manner, or just smiled in his general direction. And that hurt, in a way Tucker wasn't sure he knew was possible.

At the same time, a burning hatred ripped through his veins at the very thought of his teammates. How could he possibly care about two complete assholes who didn't give a shit about him anyway? Caboose was beyond stupid and Church was the biggest dick in the whole of Blood Gulch. Even moreso than that Sarge guy on Red Team.

Tucker let out a small laugh and dropped his eyes to the glass of water and melting ice on the table. Red Team. Those guys had had such a huge dynamic of hate and honor and kiss-assery that when Tucker had been over there with them, they had barely batted an eye at his antics. He was just that Blue Guy to them, and he'd even somewhat made friends with Grif and Simmons. It had been… nice. For once in the several years he'd been trapped in this dirt hole, he'd had people he could make jokes with who would actually laugh with him. And that had probably been the weirdest week of his life.

He stood and picked up his glass, dumping it in the sink and leaving it for someone else to deal with. He'd probably get yelled at for it, at some point in time, but right now he really didn't care. All he cared about was getting the hell out of this damn base and away from the thoughts of those assholes that he hated so very very much. So he went down to his room and slipped into his armor. There wouldn't be anyone else out in the canyon right now. They all went to sleep at the same time, but he put on the armor just in case. Then he left the base silently, flipping Church off through his bedroom door as he went.

He stood outside for several hours, staring off into the distance. There wasn't much to do out here anyway. It was hot and muggy and bright, like it always was on this stupid planet. There was absolutely nothing to do and no one to talk to. Then, close to when he knew Church would wake up and start bossing him around again, he saw movement by the Red base. Grif stepped out of the base and started smoking a cigarette, looking like he was trying to hide the thing as he puffed away.

"I need to start smoking," Tucker observed quietly as he set his gaze on the other soldier and watched him, for lack of nothing better to do.

**I'm sure you can guess who the next character's going to be. I've decided this little montage of emotional delving is all happening on the same "night" there at Blood Gulch, so at the same time Tucker is bitching to himself about hating his team, Church is tossing and turning in his bed with thoughts of being lonely and unloved. As well as having Sarge reminiscing on just why he loves his team. Blah blah blah. It's probably going to meld quite decently into something. I don't know. I like it though, so I'ma keep going. xD**


	4. Chapter 4 Grif

**Depression. To an extent.**

**Chapter 4. Grif.**

_'He said if I had any trouble from you I should get in the Warthog and crush your head like a tomato can.'_

'_Do you guys ever get anything done around here?'_

'_Why in Hell would you give somebody CPR for a bullet wound in the head? That doesn't make a lick'a sense.'_

Grif leaned back against the base, clad in a thin shirt and boxer shorts. He didn't care what time of the day it was. He knew that the only guy on the Blue Team who ever got the sniper rifle couldn't shoot worth shit. And besides, they were all probably asleep right now. Well, all except that teal one. He waved at Tucker when he saw the other soldier and grinned lopsidedly at the wave he got in return.

He didn't mind Tucker. The two of them got along pretty well. They both had wanted to pimp out the Warthog all those months ago, and that was enough to bond over in his mind. Chuckling, he raked a hand through his hair and took a drag off his cigarette.

If Simmons caught him smoking, he'd probably kill him, but Grif couldn't stand going another day without a smoke. It was just too much. The stress of this retarded war was a bit more than he had ever dealt with. He watched every day as Donut's less-than-there mind slipped just a bit more. And he stared on blankly as Sarge continued to slam him with insult after insult for shit he didn't do. And he sat behind his closed bedroom door at night and actually cried over the loss of his friendship with Simmons.

Back in Basic, the two had actually been pretty close. They'd finished all tasks and tests at the same pace and had become good friends over dishes duty every week. Then, they were shipped out to separate sectors and hadn't seen each other for a long while. When he'd been brought to Blood Gulch and told that he would be joining the same team as Simmons, he'd been happier than he thought he could. For a little bit at least.

He hadn't expected Simmons' attitude to take a complete 180. He thought he'd at least be able to spark up a decent conversation with the other on their days off-duty. But that didn't happen. Simmons had eyed him with disdain the instant he'd come grinning into the base. This wasn't a place to laugh and have fun. This was a war zone and Simmons was taking it seriously. Too seriously, in Grif's opinion. It was a few guys across the canyon in different colored armor than them. But Simmons saw it differently. He saw it as the biggest task of his life and he worshipped the ground Sarge walked on in order to keep himself high up in the ranks.

And Grif hated him for it. Despised him. And yet still hoped that maybe, someday, they'd be able to remember their old friendship. Simmons had been one of the first and only people Grif had ever actually connected with in his life, outside of his sister, of course, but that was supposed to happen. And even she was a little slut who hated him to some extent.

He shook his head and tossed his cigarette aside, pressing a hand into his eyes. He could feel tears coming on again and he'd be damned if anyone in this canyon saw him cry. That was Donut's job. Donut was the girl of this team. Not him. He gave another half-hearted wave in Tucker's direction and went back inside, his head bowed and hair in his eyes. He brushed past Simmons on the way down to his room, eliciting a sharp, "Watch where you're going, Grif!" from the maroon soldier. He shrugged and kept walking, ignoring the harsh words directed at his back. He didn't need this today. Not at all.

**I'm debating whether I want to keep up this back and forth dynamic with the Red team and the Blue team... I mean, I kind of like going back a nd forth, but I also like the idea of the characters affecting each other's start. Tucker to Grif. Grif to Simmons and all that... But then it'll probably be the rest of the Red team before Caboose gets his moment. xD**


End file.
